Brush News

International Music Fest Returns with Flair

Sixth Annual IMF, April 27 at FMHS

by KATIE COLLINS, Brush News-Tribune Writer/Photographer

Posted:
04/18/2013 12:21:19 PM MDT

Updated:
04/18/2013 03:47:30 PM MDT

The art of Japanese drumming is taken to a whole new level of entertainment as performers from Denver Taiko make their way, once again, to the 2013 IMF. (by KATIE COLLINS, Brush News-Tribune Photographer.)

Organizers at One Morgan County, an organization working to unite cultures in order to celebrate the mosaic of county communities, is bringing back performances, food and flavors with world-wide flair to the area during the sixth annual International Music Fest (IMF), set to take place on Saturday, April 27.

Although the venue for the annual happening may have changed to invade the Fort Morgan High School for the first time since its inception in 2008, the event remains free and open to the public, with doors opening at 10:30 a.m.

This year's performances will take audiences on a whirlwind tour of world cultures that will include Martirizo, a local group playing Spanish-inspired music, Wild Mountain Celts, bringing the sounds of Irish and Celtic music and will also feature the retirm pf favorite guest performers, the Denver Taiko Japanese drummers.During the two IMF intermissions, local students from Candy's Dance Academy will perform along with the Pioneer Choristers, singers from Pioneer Elementary School and the Marquez Girls, a local duo sharing their singing talents.

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Performances are set to light up the festival from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The Irish and Celtic sounds of Wild Mountain Celts will be just one of many international performers on hand at the 2013 IMF. (Courtesy Photo.)

Guests will want to bring cash to purchase food which will include recipes and flavors from around the world that also serves to represent the diverse communities in Morgan County, including turkey legs, candy bars, Pepsi products, Mexican tamales, Salvadoran pupusas, Ethiopian sambusas, Italian soup, German-Russian cabbage pockets, German brats and potato salad, Brazilian food and a variety of desserts and soup ingredients.Food will be available for purchase on a first come, first serve basis so be sure to come out early.

Guests can also enter for a chance to win prizes during a drawing.To complete the Passport Adventure and be eligible to enter the drawings, guests will need to travel “around the world” to all the booths and visit with representatives from several countries and regions including Brazil, China, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala, Kayah, Mexico, Ogaden, Rwanda, Somalia and Uganda.Representatives will include local youth and adults from the communities diverse populations.

Organizations who will also be in attendance include Pepsi and revenue from the sale of Pepsi products will support the Fort Morgan High School and Close Up's Program for New Americans (PNA), which is built on the belief that textbooks and lectures alone are not enough to help students understand responsible citizenship.The program, gives recently immigrated high school students the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to become informed and active citizens of the United States.The program is sponsored by FMHS ESL instructor Karen Liston.

Also, the FMHS International Club will be on site selling German brats and potato salad as a fundraiser for their club, which includes exchange students who will be on hand at IMF 2013 to share information about Germany and Brazil.

Morgan Community College's Adult Basic Education will also be on hand selling soups from around the world, where patrons can purchase jars of the dry ingredients used to make soups from different countries along with the recipe.They will also have display boards representing some of the countries and sharing information about their diverse student populations.

Any surplus revenue generated by OMC during the IMF 2013 will be donated to support an English as a Second Language project at FMHS.

OMC would like to thank the many volunteer support they've received for the event from Regis University Rueckert-Hartman College for Health Professions service learning program, FMHS National Honor Society and this year's planning committee including Damaris Cooksey, Gloria Mosqueda, Ingrid Neel and Theresa Leake.This enticing event is also made possible by a plethora of event sponsors throughout the community such as:

Platinum Sponsors the City of Brush, Morgan County Tourism Panel, Northeast Colorado Broadcasting, OneMorgan County and Welcoming Colorado.